Franklin Senior Center 2nd floor work ready to move forward

Friday

May 2, 2014 at 12:01 AM

By Matt TotaDaily News Staff

FRANKLIN ó The second floor of the senior center doesnít look like much now: Itís largely empty and mainly used for storage; boxes and items like fake Christmas trees, wheelchairs, and walkers abound in the unfinished space.But in more than a yearís time there will†be a couple of offices and perhaps a place for patrons to exercise, as sunlight pours in through the many windows around the room.The Town Council recently appropriated the money to start preliminary work in the fall on the unfinished second floor, with construction set to begin next year.Since 2012, the town has steadily saved money to complete the 3,000-square-foot space, which has largely remained a mystery to regulars. "Theyíve been asking about it," said director Karen AlvesTo date, the fund has collected more than $700,000.A big piece of the project will be the installation of an elevator; apart from that, the work will include flooring and walls.The senior center had to wait its turn in the queue as bigger projects, such as the new high school and library improvements, took precedence, Alves said."We always planned to rough it in so that we can finish it once the need arose," she said.More people are using the senior center now than when the building first opened in 2007, she said: "We all knew that if you built it, people would come."At the time, she said, the town was just happy to have a bigger home for its seniors.But now, space is once again at a premium. "Just the other day I had to ask a group of ladies to move out of a room because we needed to use it for something else," Alves said. "They werenít pleased."Adding to the need is that Franklinís 65 and older population will grow by more than 3,000 in the next seven years, according to Alves."We desperately need the space," she said.Part of the completed floor might be used for exercise programs ó the center offers several, including Zumba, chair volleyball and Tai Chi. There is also a need for at least two more offices.Matt Tota can be reached at 508-634-7521 or mtota@wickedlocal.com.